Chasing the Dark Star
by Mr. Wols
Summary: "In the future, bending is a rare mutation, something to be feared. Mankind has forgotten its past as it reached into the stars, focusing on technology and colonization rather than faith and balance. Corporations run everything, and when a Future Industries ship is destroyed over the planet Shen, nothing is as it seems in the search for the truth of it's demise." Sci-Fi AU fic.
1. Opportunities

"_**Chasing The Dark Star"**_

"**Opportunities"**

She closed her eyes, sighing and rubbing her temples as the nth angry corporate CEO argued with her decision. She would simply mute them for a moment and sip her tea, more than a little curious as to why they objected to her veto quite so much. The usual motives were there, lust for money and greed, more factories and more power. But they could have that on any other world just as well as this one. But this one was a core planet, an old planet that was colonized decades ago, but that wasn't the issue. This couldn't be any simple act of greed, not from all the subsidiaries at once. She un-muted him and it seemed like no time had passed, he was still ranting at her, albeit more politely than others, he was saying the same things. She took a deep breath and looked out at her view of the city. Stretching as far as the eye could see in on direction and a sea of low lying building in the other. She liked to stare at the traditionalist sectors, the old abandoned towers and massive farmlands. Mountains and valleys stretching away in waves of green and blue as earth met ocean, the things a painter would dream of. But that was all beyond her reach. She was trapped in a glass tower of her own design, trapped by her success, with only herself to blame. _And my beloved father_, she mused. She turned back to the monitor, watching the wave lengths bounce as he spoke.

"Mr. Takashi... excuse me... Mr. Takashi, please settle down." She spoke slowly and loudly, hiding her annoyance at him like a professional should. It was several moments before his blustering stopped. "Why must it be the temple?" She said it bluntly, knowing it would annoy him. "Why not ask for land outside the city? There is a whole planet under us, and a lot of free space. You could ask for any swath of land and I would help you get it, but you, just like everyone else, demand the temple dome be torn down, the monks expelled and the land used for whatever it is you were ranting about before. So I ask, out of this whole planet, this whole system, actually, why do you all ask for the temples?" She stands, her chair rolling across the gleaming white floor until it halts against the fake plant in the corner. She walks around her desk, her short heels clicking with every step. She lets her hand run across the old wood and smiles as she feels every fiber and grain of the desk in her hand. She had it brought from old earth, a dark red thing carved generations ago when people cared about craftsmanship. He had yet to reply by the time she rounded the desk, so she raised raised her cup and sipped the tea again, closing her eyes and enjoying the simple pleasure it gave her.

"Ms. Sato... I know you are young and have yet to fully grasp the opportunities set before as branch manager..." She let out an _mmm_ as she sipped the tea and muttered to stop him.

"Global Future Industries Shen branch _president, _Mr. Takashi, I have a plaque on my desk and everything." She wasn't joking either. She set the small ornate tea cup down on the plate with a clink and turned the plaque, the gold inlays flickering from the ceiling light. She frowned at it, she didn't like the title, nor her _opportunities_. He cleared his throat before continuing.

"My apologies President Sato... but like I was saying, the land these archaic temples inhabited could be used to gain huge profits in only you would utilize them. I understand you are too young to know the danger these temples pose to use all. The harbor terrorists and mutants alike and fund raids on the transports that keep the outer colonies alive. You haven't experienced first hand the absolute _horror _that is a bender attack. They are deranged savages and need to be routed at the source." She rolled her eyes and turned her monitor, typing in commands and clicking her tongue.

"You are right, Mr. Takashi, I am young. Very young given my position. But after that you are so very wrong. You say I don't know the dangers of benders, and yet my mother was killed by them. I know that last month alone the death toll from pirate crews with benders aboard were staggering. But the deaths from benders, pirate benders and every other sort of bender you could imagine were still only a fraction of the overall deaths. In fact, bending related deaths account for only two-percent of the death toll annually. The pollution from your factories kill more people than these, how did you put it, _deranged savages." _She waited a moment, tapping her chin as she considered the prompt on her monitor. "You call the temples archaic, but over a third of our consumers believe in the old ways. Just think, if you would, about how much money we would lose by tearing down such important religious centers. And try, if you are capable, to think back to the history of the colonies, and that one of the first structures built on every settled planet was an elemental temple. Would do you think would happen if we removed the centers of faith from the masses?" She frowned at her empty cup, wheeling her chair back to the desk and sitting down, crossing one leg over the other. She waited for his reply, closing her eyes and leaning her head back against the chair. She waited and waited as he tried to find the right words.

"We would recover. And the traditionalists would still have the stations." She almost laughed at him. _How could a man with so much power have so little understanding of the way of things. _Men like him often made her wonder how they ever reached the stars.

"Are you saying we would recover from years of turmoil and open rebellion caused by the destruction of sacred lands by using the stations? The stations built and maintained by the monks you wish to disturb? Those stations are some of the largest trading post in the system and I doubt they would take kindly to open violence against their order. Mr. Takashi, over our conversation it has become clear to me that you are using fear and economic gain as a basis to try and further your own prejudices and that this issue has no concern of the temples." She reaches to the monitor, clicking the prompt and typing in one final command. "It is quite clear that you are not suited for the tasks given to you. As of today you are no longer part of the Future Industries family and all of your automated factories are to be shutdown and your workforce will be brought over to the Shen branch. Goodbye Mr. Takashi." A series of status checks roll down the thin screen, turning green to red as the comm link closes and the monitor folds onto the desk. Asami sighs, turning her chair to once again look at the view, tracing the cities skyline and studying the large dome. It's an beautiful thing, just visible past a series of towers. A dome made of streamlined metal, gleaming white and red and blue and brown all at once. The colors shifting in impossible ways with each breeze. She closed her eyes again, breathing deeply and clicking as small button on the arm of her chair, losing herself, just for a moment in the strings of the traditional fire nation music. Losing herself in the idea of living in such a simple time, a time when a bender was just as common as anyone else. A time when they wouldn't be prosecuted for what they were. But it was just a fantasy. Those days have long since ended, if they had ever started to begin with.

She opened her eyes slowly, realizing she had dazed off as the sun had lowered in the sky. She was glad though, she knew she wouldn't loses any sleep over costing the company billions of credits. She watched as the last light played and danced off the shuttles zooming through the sky as the people went home for the night. She stood, walking slowly to the window, ignoring the slight hiss of her office door sliding open as she traced a finger on the dome. She watched with tired eyes as the colors continued to shift. _So beautiful._ She yawned and watched as the first stars gleamed in the sky. She smiled as a shooting star streaked across the sky. Then another and another. Her smile faded as she realized it was debris from something in orbit. The woman who entered stood next to her, her gray hair held tight as she crossed her arms. She watched as the fireballs fell from the sky and struck the city in the distance.

"Asami... one of your fathers personal cargo vessels was attacked before it reached the station. No numbers but it looks like it was all hands lost." She said it coldly, simply stating the facts. Asami frowned, tracing her finger along the path off one of the larger fireballs. All hands lost? What would drive raiders this close to the core planets? And to attack a ship so close to dock... she furrowed her brow. She knew what it must look like up there. Hulls splitting apart, what little air still in the ships fueling the fires and the crew, dying by fire or asphyxiation.

"Lin, get me the manifest for that vessel, and all reports you can find on the situation. Take care of this personally. Something isn't right." Asami didn't move as she spoke, she simply watched as more and more streaks filled the sky, lighting it up as if it were a festival. Lin, nodded and turned on her heel. "And Ms. Beifong, have Pao bring me more tea, we have work to do. When word of this attack reaches the public, there will be a frenzy and I don't think we have enough troops in the SSF to handle it." What was her father shipping that was worth risking an attack this close? She had to find out what her father was up to.

**A/N: I feel like I should make this longer, but I think it would just fill up with, well, filler. Reviews are very, very welcome here.**


	2. I'm not just an engineer

"**I'm not just an engineer..."**

"No... no... no, no, no. No, Bolin. Okay? My answer is no." but Bolin leaned closer into the cabin, his big green eyes almost screaming _please._ He leaned in further, his eyes reflecting on the white face plate. "Dammit, Bolin, I said no!" he exclaimed. Bolin half tripped, half drug himself into the cabin. Whining as he went.

"Aw, come on Khan. It'll be fun." he moped over to Khan's desk, plopping into his chair and spinning.

"Fun? Bolin, you want to break into the cargo hold." Khan was none to pleased with Bolin's incessant whining over the situation. And Bolin had been overly upset by his refusal, as they both could clearly see. Bolin planted his feet, stopping the chair and slumping down, letting his arms dangle at his sides.

"It's not breaking in. It's more like... staying at the museum after hours. Nobody cares so long as everything's where it was in the morning." he raised his shoulders and put on his best smile, to no effect.

"_That's _your main argument here? Breaking into a museum? When have you ever even been to a museum?" Khan stepped back and sat on his bed, removing his helmet. Like everything else on the ship, it was white with the Future Industries logo stamped on the front. He set his helmet on the bed. And ran his finger through his hair.

"That's not the point." Bolin waved his hands in front of him.

"Then what is the point?" Khan said impatiently. He was already twenty minutes behind on his sleep and was eager to get some before the docking. But Bolin was full of energy, and rather insistent on doing this together. He danced around in the chair, trying to distract him.

"Think of all the cool stuff that's in there?" he said enthusiastic. He points at Khan's shirt. "Maybe there's some of that new hard-plate ballistic riot gear in there. I heard from Ling in maintenance on the Ox station that that stuff could stop a grenade. Well, the armor would be fine at least, but maybe not the guy inside." his eyes drifted to the monitor as he spoke.

"And what does Ling know about riot gear? That guy is freaking nutcase who doesn't get planet side enough. The vacuum will make you crazy Bolin, but I think it might be to late for you." he picked a piece of lint of his uniform. "And so what if there's cool stuff in there. It's like a museum, remember? Look but don't touch. And besides, I know for a fact that the hold is full of supplies for the station when we dock. Not high tech gear for elite troopers." he pointed at Bolin, emphasizing his point. "Maybe there's some tranquilizers in there to calm you down." Bolin lit up, straightening and looking at Khan.

"So you'll go?" he asked. But Khan just shook his head, rubbing his tired eyes.

"No, Bolin, I won't."

"You know, if you had some of that gear you would be a better guard." Bolin stated, like it was some great secret.

"That's just it Bolin, I'm just a ship guard. I'm not some super trooper from the SSF out in the rim fighting pirates. My job is to walk around the ship and make sure idiots like you get enough attention so you don't break something."

"HEY, I am a great engineer." Bolin stated in factual tone. "I haven't had an accident in over two months." he waved his finger at Khan as he said it. But Khan just laughed.

"Yeah, and when was your last citation?" he asked, knowing the answer. Bolin crossed his arms and leaned back. "Come on Bolin." he grumbled something and Khan leaned forward, cupping his hand over his ear. "I couldn't hear you, when?"

"Last week." Bolin stated again, dejected.

"Last week, that's right. And what was it for? No wait, let me guess. You were trying to mess with some system that's out of your pay grade."

"No..." Bolin interjected, "I was just... trying to reconfigure the heating valves for the aft section showers so I could have a hot shower." he spins around, talking like it was no big deal. He hated the aft section water. It was always luke warm.

"Bolin, you shut off life support for the aft hold and caused a rupture in the cooling unit for the starboard engine. And how does that not count as an accident?" Bolin spun back around, inching the chair closer to Khan, scrambling his legs on the slick floor.

"That wasn't supposed to happen. If Chan hadn't tried to stop me we'd all have real hot water. But... now we don't have any. And nobody got hurt." he shoved his finger in Khan's face. "And when was the last time you tried to do something helpful?" Khan smacked Bolin's finger away and shoved the chair back.

"The only reason they keep you around is because you are the only one who can get the stuff you break working again. So, are we done with this sneaking into the cargo hold thing? I'm not in the mood to look at fruit right now." Bolin stood up quickly, determination on his face.

"We aren't going to _that_ hold, we're going to the automated hold. That's where they keep the good stuff." Khan smacked his forehead.

"Of course we are, I'm such an idiot. Why would we go to the one hold, when the other has security check doors, to which we don't have clearance, and cameras. Just... how does this possibly seem like a good Idea to you?" sometimes Khan worried about Bolin, this was one of those times where one has to ask if he was really sane.

"I could get us past the doors. And we are only two hours from dock, there's no one watching the cameras. We'll already be reassigned by the time they ever bother to check the footage." Bolin walked around the room, pointing and gesturing.

"And the doors?" Khan regretted asking as soon as the word left his mouth. Bolin smiled wide.

"I can hack them." he stated, smiling as Khan stood up and put his hands on Bolin's shoulders.

"You... are... an... engineer. You are not an electronics master hacker type guy. You are a member of FICE, not the tech group. Bolin, you can't hack anything, let alone security doors." Khan's tone resembled that of a doctor's who was giving his patient bad news. But Bolin continued to smile, saying two simple words.

"Mai Li." Khan pulled back, narrowing his eyes.

"Bolin..." he said slowly.

"Mai Li, I know you have been talking to Mai Li in navigation. I know you like her." Khan pulled his hands back, tilting his head to one side. Why would he know that?

"Bolin... how do you..." he couldn't form the sentence. He dance danced in front of his mind.

"I hacked your terminal on your last patrol. And you are going about her all wrong." Khan felt his eye twitch upon learning of the _breach_ of friendship.

"Bolin... you hacked my terminal? You... you looked at my private files? You came in here when I wasn't here?" Bolin's smile faded, sensing he may have made a mistake. He was sure this was going to work, up until this point. He stepped away from him, shrinking ever so slightly as Khan stepped closer. His hands shaking as he reached towards Bolin. "You..."

"I can hook you two up!" he squeaked. He didn't really think he could do it, but trying sounded better than dying. Khan stopped. Bolin took his shot. "I eat with her at lunch, I can put in a good word. Get you guys from digital to physical." he said enthusiastically. Khan stepped away. He had been trying for months to get her to look at him as more than just a guard or a friend. "Yeah, I can help you here."

"If?" Khan said, trying to restrain himself, knowing the price he would demand.

"If... you go with me to the automated hold to see what's in there." Bolin's voice raised a little with each word. But Khan just sighed.

"Fine. I'll help you end your career, but if we get caught, I'm saying you blackmailed me. I wont lose my job over this." Bolin almost squeaked with excitement, pumping his fist. "Wait, why are you so eager to get in there?" Bolin stopped and looked at the door, an exaggerated motion as he cupped his hand over his mouth.

"I heard that Mr. Sato... _the_ Mr. Sato, called for _this_ ship personally and loaded some special cargo last time we fueled up." Khan just sighed again.

"Man, where do you hear this stuff?"

"I didn't just hear it, well I did hear it from a few people, but I checked the logs and we're running at least four tonnes heavier than before we fueled up."

"Wow, you can read." he knew Bolin might actually be right for once, but he wasn't going to let him know that.

"Just go." Bolin muttered as he pushed Khan out the door. He had a secret to find.

**A/N: My style is just all over the place lately. I'm sure I'll find my groove eventually. But for now I'm just going to go with what I end up with, rust and all.**


	3. Asked and Answered

**A/N: Bit longer than I feel it should be, but at the same time this isn't a bad average for my other main story. I could have cut this in half somewhere, but this works for me. I'll end chapters when it feels appropriate.**

"**Asked and Answered"**

The door closed with a hiss and a thud, sealing the room to control the temperature. Lin Beifong closed her jacket and breathed into her hands, frowning at the steam from her breath. She always hated the server room, and the freaky little men who controlled it. It was dark, very dark, save the pathways deeper into the floor lit by the lights of the servers. There was another thud and a whirring as the lift lifted away from the floor. She sigh with a puff of steam, if anything were to happen she would be stuck on this floor, the lift being the only way in or out as a matter of security. She moved deeper into the floor, following the blue lined pathways into the darkness. She was careful to be quiet, shuffling more than stepping in the thin layer of mist hovering near the floor. She stopped at a wall and blinked a few times, trying to adjust her eyes to the odd lighting. Left, right, left. She grumbled and turned left, trying to remember her way through the electronic maze to the central chamber. It was an agitating thought, stumbling her way through a floor she shouldn't be on, but this wasn't the first time Ms. Sato had given her her clearance to investigate something that caught her eye. But this was the first time it involved a shipping manifest from a destroyed vessel and accessing the main terminal. The image was still in her mind, the streaks in the sky, the debris and the life pods both breaking up in orbit. She frowned for a moment, rubbing her hands together again. She didn't like to show emotion to those around her, she felt it to be weakness. But the thought of eighty crewman dying so harshly even got to her. She took another turn, trying to avoid the thing following her. She hated the guards on this floor as, twisted things, moving in the edge of her vision above her, bending in almost unnatural fashion. But she wasn't afraid, just agitated. It had only been a few minutes and she already longed for the open air. She felt her phone vibrate in her pocket, she reached into the pocket of her long coat, but she stopped to listen to everything around her instead. They were trained to be silent, but this one had grown cocky in it's skills, she closed her eyes and waited. She felt the slight thump of it's weight hitting the floor, the sound of its feet barely touching the ground as it closed in, assuming she wouldn't know. She waited, deciding which way it would come from, her left shoulder or her right, what it would try to strike her with, where. She waited till it was almost on top of her before spinning around, pulling the phone from her pocket and shoving the bright screen into his goggles. His strike missed and she grabbed his still outstretched arm as he barreled past, twisting it and pulling it till it was locked behind his back and she shoved him into a server with a resounding thud. He groaned as she held the light in his eyes. She always felt their night vision goggles were a weakness in some cases. She pulled the phone away from him, throwing him to the ground and placing her foot on his chest, the mist billowing away from the disturbance. She pushed down and felt him struggle to breath. He tried to get away, squirming and trying to place the needed strikes on her leg to make it lose feeling but she simply stomped her foot on his chest and shone the light in his eyes again. He cried out and covered his face.

"Please stop! Don't hurt me, I'm just following instructions!" he almost begged and she lifted her foot, letting him scramble away. She looked back at her phone and clicked an icon, waiting for the line to open.

"So am I. Ms. Sato, I haven't reached the central terminal yet, I got... sidetracked." the phone was as long as her hand and as thick as her finger, all black with the Future Industries logo engraved on the back. She lifted the phone in the air and looked around, the guard had slithered away and poked his head around a sever, looking at her, the name of her boss having got his attention.

"Sidetracked? I guess they don't appreciate my clearance there. I'm sorry to have interrupted you then, but I have the crash reports being routed to my office, I'll speak to you after you find the manifest." the line went dead and Lin slid the phone back in her pocket and looked to the little man. He had stepped out from behind the server, understanding it was his best option.

"I'm sorry for attacking you, we don't get many authorized visitors here, and most of those call us to them, not wander around like you." she had a good view of him now, he was short and lean, his insulated uniform and goggles giving size he didn't actually have. He seemed nervous still.

"Take me to the central terminal, I need to access privileged information." he shook his head, his mask reflecting the lights of the servers.

"I'm sorry, but I doubt you have the clearance to get into the chamber, let alone access the terminal." he seemed happy with himself, trying to win in some way against the woman who heard him coming.

"I'm acting directly on the orders of President Asami Sato and have access to her clearance levels, show me to the chamber or I will take you down again," she reached into her jacket and drew a pistol just enough to be seen, "with extreme force." he looked at her for a moment before nodding and pointing down another path.

"It's this way." was all he he said before moving down the path. She slid the pistol back into is holster and followed him, keeping her coat open just in case she needed to be quick. If she was even five years younger she wouldn't have to worry about him in any way, he was slow and weak compared to what she had been, but that was then. Now, she wasn't sure she could take quite so easily, but she refused to believe he could win, she was _older_, not old or dead. She scratched the scars on her cheek absently as she followed him through twists of the servers. "I'm sorry for judging you so quickly, but you don't exactly look like the normal ones that come through here." she tried to ignore his comment, but she bit anyway as he turned again.

"And what is normal for this floor?" he chuckled and lifted his goggles from his eyes.

"Secretaries, assistants, people who made mistakes and need to access the files to change things around. Panic-y little people in suits and ties trying to fix that they messed up. Not an old woman in an old coat sporting a gun with high level clearance like you. No offense." she didn't take any, she knew what she was, even if she didn't like that she was aging she couldn't stop it, and ignoring it would simply lead to her making a mistake, possibly a fatal one. "I'm speaking of the coat, naturally." he snickered and she reached and grabbed the back of his head, slamming him into a server. "I'm sorry, it was just a joke." she let him go and he rubbed his face, staring at her for a moment before continuing. "The Chamber is just ahead, just follow the light." he leaped on top of a server and disappeared back into the darkness. She cursed under breath and looked around, the severs and mist giving way to dimly lit hallways as she moved forward. She moved down the hallway, following the light, just like he said when she reached a door. Thick ballistic glass filled with white to make it opaque. A palm scanner sat waist high to the right of the door, covered in a small amount of frost and blinking red in several places. She placed her hand on to top of the scanner and it seemed an eternity before the lights turned green and the door clicked open. She took a deep breath and entered the chamber. It was warmer than the rest of the floor, considerably so. The room was small and brightly lit, her eyes taking a moment to adjust. It was a plain room, white walls and a black floor and a ceiling made of square lights. There was a simple work station with a monitor and a chair against the wall across from her. She scanned the room and pulled her phone from her pocket, clicking the same icon for before as she moved to the station. She set down the phone and took off her coat, draping it over the chair. It was a moment before the line connected and she readjusted her holster under her arm.

"What the hell am I doing in here Asami, I don't know what this is." she pulled the chair back and it creaked as she sat, Asami was silent for moment, the only sound being her sipping that damn tea.

"You found the main terminal?" she seemed preoccupied.

"If you mean the one monitor in the little room protected by the blast door, then yes. Now, what am I supposed to do here?" she slid her hands around the edges of the monitor, looking for a power button, or anything else for that matter.

"You are looking for files pertaining to the ship that was attacked, its new so they shouldn't be hard to find."

"I'll do that, as soon as I turn the damn thing on. Maybe I should rephrase my question. _How do I do that_?" she missed the days when everything was simple, when finding a file meant looking in a drawer and feeling the paper in her hands. But everything changed so fast nowadays.

"Oh, sorry, the architects take a lot of freedom on those floors. Their should be a small slot on the desk somewhere, slide your phone into it." she could here the sound of the tea cup lifting from the plate over the line as she felt around the desk for the slot. It was shaded to be almost indistinguishable from the rest of the desk and she had to feel it before she could see it. She slid her phone in and the monitor lit up, passing through a series of automated checks before a simple inquiry bar filled the screen.

"What exactly do I type here?" there was another damn sip before she responded.

"Just start with recent cargo shipments, find the one that was attacked and dig from there." she sounded like it was so simple, and to her it most likely was. But to Lin it was a puzzle, and she hated puzzles. She sighed and closed the line, not wanting to deal with her accidental condescension. The girl didn't mean it, and in the last few years she had never treated Lin like anything but an equal, or maybe a friend. And that was one of the few reasons she got up in the morning, her job was to help the girl and keep her safe, even if it meant doing some things that weren't exactly... okay. She touched the inquiry bar and a keyboard filled the bottom half of the screen. She felt herself age as she spoke to the monitor, speaking out what she typed.

"Okay, recent shipments to Shen, Shen station. Completed shipments, no, incomplete shipments to Shen station, recent." it took her a few minutes of trying different searches to find the ship. Most people who entered this room knew what to do, or knew exactly what they were looking for. But she just had the knowledge of a destroyed ship that had yet to be put in the system. "Most recent shipment to Shen station was an agricultural ship from a harvest planet. Four hours behind scheduled dock. That's it. Okay, type, Class two cargo vessel, seventy-six personnel, hold full of food and parts." she rubbed her eyes and opened the line back up. "It was a simple cargo ship, nothing important on the manifest, at least, not unless the raiders were looking for food and station parts." Asami made an audible _mmm_ as she thought of something mid sip.

"Check personnel, see if their was anyone important. Cross reference their files with key figures in the database for matches, maybe it was a _someone_ they were looking for, not a _something_." Lin did as she was instructed. She tapped her fingers on the desk as each crew member was checked and compared for any inconsistencies. But that too was a bust.

"Nothing, every crew member checks out, no flags." she read over the specs of the ship, its haul, and the reports from its last refueling when she noticed something. "Asami... the ship was running heavier after its last fueling than before, close to four tonnes. Human error can account for some, but not that much weight."

"Okay, then something was added. But what? And why? What station was it fueled at?" Lin didn't understand the line of logic Asami had most definitely latched onto, but she checked.

"Ox station. Four hundred employees, it's just a fueling station with a public dock. If you want me to try and access the logs from the station, I can, but even I know that would take serious time to dig through every person on the station at the time." she scratched the scar on her cheek.

"Ox station... that a mid station between the Core and the Rim. Part of a line of stations." her voice was contemplative

"Yes, any ship traveling from the Rim would need to stop at that station, or one of the others in the line. Unless they wanted to risk the Trader stations."

"Lin, scan the records for all ships that docked in the two days before ours came through." Lin, again not understanding the desire to search for a piece of hay in a haystack, did as she was told. She set the parameters for the search and waited, reading the names of the ships and their descriptions.

"Nothing stands out, lots of private ships and lots of cargo haulers, but..." Lin stopped as a ship caught her eye.

"But you found something I figured you'd find."

"Your fathers personal vessel fueled up at the station a day before our ship did. Your father personally checked records and upcoming schedules for all cargo haulers. There several reports of him in the system before they were wiped. I'll send you the files." Lin copied the files to her phone and pulled it out of the slot, having found all she was going to find in this system. She had probably raised several flags as it was. She sent the files to Asami and grabbed her coat, rushing to the door and down the hallway to the server maze. "What do we do now? We can't have long before he finds us snooping." Asami drank her tea and waited a moment as the files transferred to her station.

"For now we stay calm, I'll sift through these and see what I can find. In the meantime there was a report of a life pod landing somewhat intact in the city, near the edge of the entertainment district. I'll send you the location, they found a body inside and a lot of blood that wasn't his. Speak to the first officer at the scene, Changpu, and ask him what he saw, I don't think his story matches the truth too well. Talk to me after." the line clicked and Lin cursed under her breath as she rushed back the way she came. It was cold and long but she found the lift doors and sighed in relief as they opened and she stepped inside. The little guard was standing on the other side of the door way, almost waving.

"I take it you were never here?" he asked and smiled with crooked teeth.

"That depends, do you like having internal organs?" Lin said forcefully. He smiled widened, showing off his yellow mouth.

"Question asked and answered." the doors shut as Lin clicked a floor button. The lift whirred and tugged as it climbed the dozen floors to the shuttle garage. It slowed and stopped and the doors opened with a hiss and Lin made her way to her shuttle. After she climbed in and set the course. She rested her head against the seat as it took her to where she needed to be. She looked at the window and watched as the tall towers gave away to factories and heavier traffic. She passed the border to the entertainment district and the buildings lowered and changed from bleak factories belching smoke to colorful buildings covered in neon signs. She counted club after club and bar after bar as she passed through the district. Again the buildings started to change, from the dirty clubs to the residential highrises. She sat up in her seat when she saw a tower with a gaping hole in the middle, smoke still poring out of several floors where the pod tore through. She took manual control and slowed the shuttle, pushing lower to the floor of the city, following the damaged building where the pod bounced from one to the other. After a time she reached the ground, crowds having formed and riot forces standing in a line while detectives dug through the trail of destruction behind the nearly destroyed pod. She set the shuttle down outside the scene, kicking up bits of dust and debris as the engine whined and shut off as it connected with the ground. She stepped out and looked back at the path the pod took.

"I don't think anybody made it out of this one." she moved to the crowd, pushing through the people, all trying to get a better look at what destroyed their homes. She made it to the line set by the security forces and tried to pass when an young officer stopped her.

"Sorry ma'am, no civilians beyond this line, so go to the back with the rest of the rabble before I make you." he had a slight smile, he enjoyed his job, but he was like most of the public forces in the Sato Security Force, deranged cowboys looking for a reason to be violent. He flung open a collapsing baton and pressed it to her chest. She kept her composure and looked past him to the pod. It was burnt to a crisp and most of the external parts were missing. But she needed to see inside and she couldn't do that from where she was. She looked back to the man, opening her coat and flashing her badge and gun, perks of her job. He looked at her badge for a moment.

"Get out of my damn way before I beat you with that thing" He collapsed the baton against his leg and stepped aside, keeping his mouth shut. "Good job." she passed him and made her way through the trail of destruction to the pod. She looked inside and found it to be flipped over, a man dangling from his seat. She frowned at the sight and backed away, grabbing the arm of one of the detectives. He spun and looked at her, spotting her badge and giving a nod. He was younger, but old enough to have enough years on the job to learn to hate it and still see the value in it. He eyed her for a moment, the peak in his hair waving in the wind and his brows furrowed over narrowed eyes.

"Can I help you ma'am? I'm detective Mako." he tone was respectful, but rushed.

"Yes, detective Mako, you can. I'm looking for the first officer on the scene, Changpu. I need to speak with him." he looked back to the pod and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Sorry ma'am, he was dismissed when I got here. If you need to talk to him I'm sure you won't have much trouble finding him." he turned and made his way back to the pod.

"Great," she pulled her phone from her coat and opened a line to Asami, "Ms. Sato, another problem." Asami sighed.

"Of course."


	4. Only Half That Matters

**A/N: I cut this in half. I did, I had enough for two so I cut this in half and added some stuff to the end of this and made it appropriate. And as a side note, the nature of this story is changing rapidly as I go. But I like it.**

"**Only Half That matters"**

"Dammit, Chang. What did you do now?" Mako grumbled to himself as he climbed through the blown out hatch of the life pod. He took one last look at the woman as she turned and left, her coat rustling in the new wind. He felt another shiver down his spine. _Private Sector, she could kill me and toss me aide like a toy and no one would bat an eye. _He shook his head and dropped the foot to the roof of the pod. Glass crunched and he stepped over wrenched metal to reach the control panel, and the man hanging from his seat. His uniform was torn, burnt and bloody. Over the time he spent hanging there it had slowly drained from his body, pooling below him. Mako made sure to avoid the pool of crimson as he moved the mans arm, looking at the logo on his shoulder. It was stiff and his skin was pale and discolored.

"What do we got?" Mako turned and saw another Detective shine a flashlight around the pod. He was bald and young, a new addition. His coat rustled as climbed in. "Why do we have a life pod here? And what's with the dead guy?" Mako motioned him forward and had him shine the light on the logo. "What sort of flower is that?"

"I don't know," Mako pulled a camera from his belt and took a photo, clicking a few buttons. "But I sent it back to HQ, maybe they can figure it out. My question is, what is he doing inside a Future Industries life pod." he switched on the light on the camera and looked at the control panel, recording as he went.

"How do you know it's FI? I thought all Sato ships had super high tech stuff, not this old hunk-a-junk." Mako moved the camera and found what actually killed the man. He put his hand over his mouth and looked away, resisting a small gag. He calmed himself quickly. _Just part of the job._

"Looks like part of the control panel exploded and lodged itself in his chest." he turned back to the other detective, panning the camera along the rest of the pod. "My brother is in FICE, he says that they switched out the pods a few years ago for most ships but some of the fight crews kept the old ones. He swears by these things, says they're the safest model they ever made." the other detective knelt down next to the pool of blood, taking a deep breath and groaning.

"Irony at it's finest, killed by a life pod." he laughed at his own joke and stood up, looking over the dead guy. "Any idea what this thing came from? I haven't heard any news about things going wrong space side." Mako had been asking himself the same question, Bolin's ship was supposed to get in that morning. But so were several others. _He's fine, calm down. _Mako took a deep breath and noticed something on the roof of the pod under his feet. "I think your brother might be wrong about this pod though, this guy didn't make it." Mako knelt down and looked at what he saw. He pulled a glove from his belt and slid it on and wiped a finger in the small black patch.

"Hey Sai, I got something." Sai cursed as he stood and smacked his head off the arm of a seat. Mako rolled the wet powder in his fingers and scanned around with his light. He noticed something under a piece of bent railing and pulled it free.

"What did you find that the others didn't?" Sai said lazily as he stood over Mako, joining his light to Mako's and seeing the splotches of blood.

"Blood, gunpowder and this." Mako held up the half a shotgun shell and showed it to Sai.

"What happened to it?" he asked and Mako looked at it closely. It had been cut in half behind the shot and in front of the powder.

"Someone cut it." Sai knelt down next to him.

"No shit, I mean, why?" Mako looked around again, pulling an evidence baggy from his belt and dropping the shell inside.

"I don't know, maybe we can get prints from it. But there was someone else on this pod." Sai cursed under his breath and fell backwards. 

"Think it'll match _that_?" he said, pointing at something and swallowing. Mako saw it then as well, he frowned and lifted it up. It was half a finger.

"Well, this is nice." he spoke quietly as he pointed the camera at the digit. "Darker skin coloration, slender. I think this was cut from a woman's hand." Sai regained his composure and cleared his throat, acting as though he hadn't been startled.

"Looks like it was torn off to me." Mako put the camera back on his belt and had Sai hold his light up to it.

"Look there, the wound is ragged and the bone is smashed, but here," Mako pointed his finger at the other side of the partial digit. "But the rest was cut off." Sai mumbled an agreement as they stood, Mako putting the finger in another baggy. "Let's get this stuff back and see whats going on." they made there way back over broken glass from panel and past wrenched metal and climbed back out the pod into the night air. Mako took a deep breath as he moved from the pod. He stopped one of the other investigators from the forensics team, holding the baggies up to him. "Maybe try to find everything next time." the man scowled and walked away as Sai came up behind him.

"Well, this is going to be a fun one, if they don't start an internal investigation and cut us out. Hey, who was the lady?" Mako squinted at the portable lights being set up around the area.

"Private Sector." he said, a drop of rain landing on his shoulder.

"Of course she was, how close to the top?" Sai pulled his Jacket over his head and moved under the cover of a nearby building. Mako slowly followed him.

"Pretty close, she had one of those Tower badges."

"Like, the FI Tower, one of those badges?" Mako shook his coat and started walking away form the scene, Sai following him. The rain started to pour, the sounds of the world becoming drowned out as the water landed on everything, the sound of it hitting buildings and signs as shuttles passed and people clamored to see past the security line. Mako shoved through the crowd and turned down a side street to his shuttle.

"Yeah, I'd bet she was ex-SSF too. She had that air about her." Sai laughed for a moment.

"You mean that, _I am going to kill you and dance on your corpse_, air?" his laughing stopped as the rain again started hitting him. But Mako seemed to ignore it.

"Yeah, that air. She was looking for Changpu. Said she had some questions for him.

"He was first on the scene right? Well definitely screams _odd_." Mako joined the people milling down the street and cut through them to make his way to a garage.

"Yeah, either he did something really stupid, or they aren't telling us the truth." Mako stopped and took a deep breath, turning to Sai and handing him the baggies.

"Take those back for me." his voice was flat and Sai nodded before realizing what had happened. He turned around and saw the news panel and read the headline as it scrolled across the screen. _A Future industries cargo vessel, the SSC Turtle Shell, broke apart in orbit only an hour before scheduled docking when it's engine ruptured, an after affect of recent damages from a renovation to the drive core. All hands lost. _Sai looked at the ground for a moment, thinking back.

"Oh no, Mako... I'm so sorry." he couldn't find the words to say, his attempts nothing more than a jumbled mess. "Oh... Mako... yeah, I take these back." he put his hand to his mouth and Mako didn't move. "Hey, Mako, the numbers are never right, and we know someone else was on that pod, I'm not saying... there was a lot of debris and we haven't gotten to it all. Maybe there are other pods, or some made it too..." Mako turned around and stared him down. He put his hands in his pockets and rolled his shoulder.

"Sai... I'm going to get a drink, tell the Captain I'm going to..." Sai nodded and placed a hand on Mako's shoulder and gave a sad smile.

"I'll cover for you. Just... I'm so sorry." he couldn't find anything else to say. He pretended he didn't see the tears in the corners of his eyes or the slight shake in his shoulders. He patted his shoulder and turned around, making his way out of the alley, ignoring the sound of Mako's fist smashing through the screen. Mako tried not to cry, he tried and almost succeeded, a small sob pulling itself from him. He took a deep breath and regained his composure, pretending that he didn't feel the tears in the corners of his eyes. He took a deep breath and started moving again.

"Dammit Bolin..." he stopped when his phone chirped. He tried to ignore it, but decided it would be best if he thought of something else. But he never looked at it, he never looked up from the ground as he climbed into his shuttle and he didn't move as it lifted from the ground, taking him away. "You were supposed to be here." he took deep breaths, the sadness dissipating, being replaced by anger. He shouted and slammed his fist into the controls of the shuttle. It beeped a warning and he hit it again, and again. He covered his eyes and felt his phone in his pocket again. He ignored it again. The engine whined and the sound of rain hitting the shuttle pushed his thoughts back to when Bolin left. It was Mako's idea, he thought it would be good for Bolin to have stable work to keep him out of trouble. He had kept him safe for so long. He reached into the passenger seat, pulling the scarf into his lap. He ran his thumbs over the worn red fabric.

"_No, Bolin, you should go."_

"_Are you sure, I don't know if you'll make it far without me."_

"_Ha ha. This will be good for you. You'll be safe and you'll be getting paid. And even if you quit after a few years, you'll now some helpful stuff. I wont let us go back to the under city, Bolin, we've come too far."_

"_I know, but, what about you? You haven't relaxed since mom and dad..."_

"_I'll be fine Bolin, I'm joining the SSF, or the public division at least. I can help people. And besides, we can talk all the time."_

"_I... I'll miss you bro."_

"_Bolin, don't cry. Seriously, I can't handle you crying right now."_

Mako smiled, a sad smile as he thought back. The engined whined down as the shuttle landed on the automated pad. The rain continued to pour as he stepped out of the shuttle, wrapping the scarf around his neck. His phone rang again and he ignored it as he jogged across the platform to the bar lift. There was a crowed but he passed through them, ignoring them. He finally made it to a lift and stopped any others from getting on with him, they protested till he showed his badge and gun then they backed away. The doors shut and he leaned against the side of the lift, trying to ignore the phone ringing in his pocket. After a moment it wasn't hard as the heavy bass from the bar music filled the air. The lift opened and he was nearly deaf in an instant in the wave of people writhing to the music. But it was the bar he went to, planning on losing himself in a bottle.


	5. The Order of Things

**A/N: I post what I write, I don't really have a back log or anything. I try to wait at least a day between uploads. That way *cough cough* I don't have to write too much in one day and burn my self out. *cough cough* but here's two in less than 24 hours. To be honest, I'm just happy someone wants to read this. Again, thank you. And I need a new summary, any help?**

"**The Order of Things"**

"Does he have a history? Anything I need to worry about?" Lin stifled a yawn. She had to rub the dreariness from her eyes, looking out the shuttle window and over the city. The lights of the control panel had become ever so bright in last few moments. She wasn't going into this completely blind, but even on the job her thoughts continued to drift to her bed.

"No really, only a year or so on the force, basic training. He has a couple of citations for negligence, but it's all evidence stuff. I don't think this guy has ever even fired his weapon." Lin closed her eyes for a moment, shifting in her seat and looking up through the glass roof of her shuttle as thunder cracked and lightning flashed in the sky. She felt it too, the rumble in her chest even with the constant hum of the shuttle engine behind her, she felt it. "Lin, can you hear me?" she blinked and took a deep breath.

"Yeah, listen, Asami, if this guy is such nobody, why am I going to him?" there was another crash and the shuttle vibrated again. _The storm is getting too heavy. _She thought, lazily. _Any worse and ships will start getting grounded. _She didn't care about the ships, but she knew first hand what happened in a shuttle crash. It was not something she wanted to experience again. _You always had to run, didn't you?_

"Because he was first on the scene of the crash." she stated it rather than said it. Some gleaming obvious fact.

"Then why not read his reports and be done with it? I know you have them in front of you." Lin spoke with an agitated tone in her voice. Helping Asami solve the reason for the attack was one thing, but at this point it was looking like it was just desperate raiders.

"Because, he said he found the shuttle and there was only on person inside." Lin shook her head.

"And there was only one dead guy inside when I was there. If there were others they would be in custody and you'd have me throwing my badge in the faces of the entire department." she reached under her coat and rubbed a thumb on her badge. A Tower badge. It meant she was an investigator for the corporate bigwigs. The kind of investigator to make internal affairs sweat.

"And you didn't investigate like you should have. But I understand, there were a lot of cops and you don't like drawing attention. A safe bet, but maybe not the winning one." the winning bet. It was always the winning bet.

"What if it really was just raiders attacking out of desperation. And what evidence is there that there was anyone else in the pod? I know how much you want there to be some mystery behind this that you can solve and fell good at the end of the day, but sometimes things just happen, Asami." ever since she chose her, Asami had her running around, playing private investigator for her, finding the dirt she couldn't get with her computers. And more than once they had stumbled across something, some hints at espionage for dirty dealing from her fathers records showing that he always had his own agenda. But more often than not, it came to nothing and Asami would sulk, drinking that damn tea.

"Nothing was taken. From the ship I mean, nothing was taken. Station salvage ships found all the cargo just floating around." Lin sighed.

"The turtle was destroyed, so there was fighting. What if the crew destroyed the ship in a last ditch effort to stop the raiders. Point defense guns only do so much." it sounded strange as she said. She quickly realized what she had done.

"Why would they self destruct if their haul was just food and factory parts. Self destruct protocol is used only when something invaluable is on board. Not fruit." she sounded almost defensive. Like she had to protect her logic and keep any holes from pooping up. Lin didn't respond, because she could very well be right. _What sort of Captain would give a self destruct order for agricultural cargo?_ "Besides, Changpu here lied on his report."

"How do you know that?" the screen in her dash beeped and flashed as more thunder rocked the sky. She tapped at the screen, setting the controls to manual and flying the last few moments on her own. She trusted the shuttle to get her close, but never all the way.

"The pod's hatch was opened from the inside." Lin pulled the shuttle from the flow of traffic, away form the zooming of the ships and the wiring of their engines. The building was low and old, beaten down and out of the way. Not the best housing. No, the more money you had the higher up you lived, and a low level cop could barely get off the ground. _At least it's not in the under city._

"And?" it was a clue, or a coincidence. Lin had never been one for betting on an answer before she was sure. She st the shuttle down with a thud and stepped out onto the landing pad. She put a small communicator in her ear, pulling her coat over her head and rushing to the entrance the building.

"And, I get the feeling our dead guy hanging upside down in the pod didn't pull the release. Which means there was someone else in the pod and they got out. Changpu's report says he got to the scene just after the crash. So, either he just barely missed whoever else was there, or he let them go. So, either way he knows something we don't." Lin thought back to the pod, and the glimpse of the dead man. Still strapped into the seat and his arms dangling. I guess the detectives started doing their jobs. She thought of the young detective. He was different from the others. The lobby was empty, with yellow walls that had either faded or had once been white. There was water damage above her and the lighting was dim, at best. Steam poured from piped poking out of the walls and had created puddles on one side of the room.

"So you have the photos from the scene?" the building looked looked like it was on it's last leg, and she couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching her. "What floor is his room on?" she moved across the lobby, eager to leave the space.

"Room four-eight-two, six floors above you. And yes, I've stared pulling the files from the departments database, but their tech is horrible at best and it coming slowly. Right now it's... wow, that's a terrible way to go. Killed by a life pod." there was almost a laugh in her voice and Lin could almost see the smile as she heard a sip of tea. She waited for the lift, the motor whirring as it descended the cables. _This place really is the bottom of the barrel._ It was a somber thought that gave her an appreciation for what she had.

"If you think it's so great, why don't you come out here with me sometime." it wasn't a sincere gesture, or maybe it was. Lin had always been curious about the idea of getting the young woman from her office. The lift dinged and the doors slid open and two men almost rushed into her. They were rough, with high cut hair and dirty clothes. The quickly moved past her and out the building, but Lin noticed how they moved. They were controlled. She waved it off and pressed the floor button.

"Don't tease me with that Lin, you know how much I would love to be out there with you. But if I was there, who would be here staring at computer monitors and reading reports?" _and the tea, who would drink all that damn tea? _The lift dinged as it ground to a halt and the doors opened with a loud squeak. The hallway wasn't much better than the lobby, with the same walls and dingy lighting. Most the doors had chips missing or dents where people bothered to replace them with metal instead of wood. She looked at the numbers as she made her way done the hall.

"I don't know Ms. Sato, but I think you would love this place I'm in. the feeling that I'm going to be stabbed is only slightly higher than if I were in a knife fight." Asami laughed over the line as Lin rounded the corner. She immediately knew which room she was looking for when she saw a door had been smashed open down the hall. Lin tensed for a moment, slipping to the wall and drawing her pistol in deft move. She checked the magazine and the chamber just to sure as she moved down the hall. Her feet were swift and she kept calm as he moved next to the door, peaking in through the gap.

"Oh my, that sounds amazing, but I'll have to pass. Some more photos just came in I think Changpu has some real explaining to do." Lin only half heard her as she took a deep breath and shoved into the room, pistol at the ready. She scanned around the room, looking for signs of life or movement, but the small room held neither. She took a deep breath and wiped her nose on her sleeve.

"Well, he wont be answering any questions anytime soon." she moved through the small apartment, stepping over broken chairs and shelves, looking in the bathroom and holstering her pistol after deciding there wasn't anyone else there. She looked back towards the hallway, and the chair set in front of the screen in the corner.

"I take it that he's dead?"

"Yeah, burglary gone wrong. Or at least that's what they want it to look like." she stepped around the chair and looked at the corpse. He was bruised and covered in cuts, blood running down wounds along his neck and chest. It was a gruesome sight but Lin pushed down the feeling in her gut.

"What does that mean?" the room was trashed, everything was either broken or thrown aside. But nothing was moved with the intentions of finding valuables. It was all controlled.

"It means that someone came here and tortured our guy to death. They made it look like it was a robbery. And his wounds, how he died, looks like the kind of things done on the Rim." she moved looked around at the broken items on the floor. Pictures and plates, anything close to him when he died.

"I take it you aren't happy with that answer?" she seemed distracted again. Lin moved dusted away some broken glass and moved an old picture frame and found a smashed data pad.

"No, it _looks _like stuff on the rim, and all the destruction was done purposefully. But it's all too controlled to be raiders." Lin thought back to the men at the lift, dirty and dangerous looking, but composed. "I found a smashed data pad, maybe something on it. Does this place have any cameras? No, wait, this place is a hellhole. How about the surrounding buildings or pads? I don't think were the only ones digging into this, and I think I saw the guys who did it." she stood and moved out of the apartment, not wanting to disturb anything further.

"Yeah, I'll look into it, but I have something you need to see. I'm sending it to your phone." Lin pulled it out of her pocket, waiting for the file to load, her eyes following the little gear on the screen as it loaded. "I already have a positive id from the databanks, but I want to be sure. I made the files restricted to stop the Department from digging into it. Is it what I think it is?" the picture loaded, it was a patch on a mans shoulder. A white flower on a blue field.

"Things just got a lot more complicated." Y_ou always had to run._

"That's what I thought, it's a shame you don't still have that contact. Come back here, I have an investigative team on the way. They'll dig up any more evidence. I know you could use the sleep and I need to work on finding the next lead." Lin rubbed her eyes, closing the line and solving the phone back in her pocket, a thunderclap shaking the building. _Always moving, blowing around like the wind. _Lin thumped her fist on the wall. 

"I'm getting too old for this shit."


	6. Bang Bang

**A/N: I think something happened when I posted chapter five, the new chapter was there, and I could go to it, but the update time/date didn't change. Hopefully this fixes it. I don't know if it's possible to miss, but make sure you don't miss chapter five. And I had to resort to my main style for this as I was having a lot of trouble getting it down. Also because I keep seeing Mako as Bud Bundy, and that makes it very hard to take him seriously.**

"**Bang Bang"**

The back of his throat itched as the bass pumped through him. Over and over the beat hit a peak and changed pace, the mob of people on the dance floor grinding into each other, oblivious to anything and everything. Mako resisted the urge to cover his eyes, the lights flashed a dozen colors as they raced with the beat. He forced his way to the bar, shoving past the couples lost in each others mouths. Past the booths with group of people laughing and taking the things he would normally arrest them for. But he wasn't a cop, not now. He finally reached it, the clear glass bar filled with a hundred different liqueurs in a thousand different bottles. He had to fight the sound to be heard.

"The hard stuff." was all he told the bartender, and he simply nodded, handing him a bottle and eying the edge of his coat. Mako stared back, twisting the cap off the bottle and taking a drink. The bartender left and Mako ignored the urge to vomit as the alcohol slid down his throat, burning as it went. He had never been much of a drinker, he felt he lost too much control when he drank. Again his thoughts drifted to Bolin, of their childhood in the under city, dealing with the gangs and pervs, dealing with the sick ones who would buy or sell anyone or anything for a few credits. Again he resisted the urge to vomit. _Not now, not yet. _He wasn't ready for it to be true. How could he? He took another swig and drifted away from the bar, letting the writhing of the mob carry him to a booth. The beat changed again and with it the world was bathed in red, then blue. Back again and again the lights changed, torturing his eyes. The booth was occupied, a group of women huddled together, laughing as they enjoyed themselves. He plopped into the booth, taking another drink and ignoring the world around him.

"_I'll be home next week. I'm so pumped, these back world harvest planets are so boring."_

"_It can't be that bad, there has to be an upside."_

"_Uh, no, dude, there isn't. We literally sit in orbit or walk around a little station for a few days as they ship the stuff up to us."_

"_Is it pretty? I heard those places have great views."_

"_Nope... I think I can say with expert authority that one farm is exactly like the next one. And the last one. The one before that had a little brown area, I think, but other than that it was the same. OW!"_

"_What are you doing...Bolin..."_

"_No. No, I'm just... no. No I'm not. Okay, I think I can do without the sarcasm. What do you mean it wasn't sarcasm. NO, I DO KNOW WHAT I'M DOING!"_

"_Okay, I'll talk to you later bro. You're obviously busy."_

"_No, mister guard dude guy, I am not trying to sabotage... BECAUSE THAT WOULD KILL ME TOO! I DON'T WANT TO DIE! Have you ever tried using your brain on the job? DON'T TOUCH THAT!"_

Mako felt himself smile. A sad smile as he took another drink. His smile widened and he couldn't stop the laugh from coming out. It was soft at first, then louder and louder till he had tears in his eyes. But he couldn't tell if they were happy or sad. He didn't notice the woman next to him till she put her hand on his shoulder, wrapping her fingers around the bottle. She laughed with him till he stopped and she just smiled at him. Her eyes red and her pupils were dilated. She laughed again and scooted closer to him.

"What's so funny?" she whispered into his ear with a generous use of her tongue long after her words stopped.

"My brother just died." he spoke calmly and she leaned back, pouting at him.

"Wow, that sucks." she placed a hand in his lap and she leaned close again. "But I have some stuff that will take the edge off." she slid her hand up and her stared into her eyes, watching as she went from an artificial pleasure to confusion. She looked down, her hand had hit his utility belt and his coat had opened, his badge shining with the strobe lights dancing off it. She pulled back, her eyes wide with fear as she scooted away.

"I'll just pretend that didn't happen." he dropped the bottle on the table and walked away. The fought the current of the mob, bouncing form one person to another as he pushed his way to the restroom. Even outside the door there were couples locked into each other. He thought for a moment about how much he hated clubs, about how much he hated this place. He thought about how it reminded him of the places he spent his time in working as muscle. He pushed his way into the restroom, the music becoming a dull noise buzzing in the back of his head as the door shut behind him. He rounded the corner, the bass still thumping in his chest as he stared at everyone. One wall was a solid metal counter with sinks every couple feet and a mirror that covered the rest of the wall above the counter. The other wall was lined with urinals and stalls. "Get out." everyone looked at him. One looked to his friend, snorting a line of powder and Mako stared them both down. The one step at him and Mako pulled back his coat and the guy put his hands up, smiling as he grabbed his friend and they left the bathroom. He was alone now, or as close as he was going to get. He pulled the scarf from around his neck as he made his way to the furthest sink from the door. He ran the fabric through his fingers as heard listened to his phone ring again. He set the scarf down, pulling out the phone and running the sink.

"Yeah?" he didn't bother to check to see who it was.

"Hey, it's me... uh, Sai. I'm just... are you in a club?" Mako splashed water on his face and looked into the mirror.

"I told you I needed a drink." his voice was flat and low.

"Okay, okay. I now you are going through a tough time..." Mako gripped the phone tighter, the parts making and audible sound as they slowly bent from the pressure. But he stopped before it broke.

"Don't go down that road. What do you want?"

"Fine, okay. I feel work helps anyway." Sai was scurrying around the point and Mako didn't like it.

"What work." it wasn't a question, more a statement to make him move on.

"Okay, uh. Changpu is dead. They found him in his apartment." Mako stood straight, shutting off the water.

"Who found him?"

"A Tower investigator. I think it was that lady from earlier. They already called in a private team and wrapped the crime scene." there was chatter on the other end of the line.

"That's a fast investigation. He was only sent home a few hours ago." he felt like his head was filled with puzzle as he wiped his face on his coat sleeve. Or maybe it was the booze. "How did he die?" he didn't answer right away.

"They say it was a robbery. Some guys came in and smashed the place and killed Chang because he was there." Mako rubbed his temple.

"Since when did robberies require Tower cops? No, that doesn't add up. That Tower cop was looking for him and know he's dead and they handle the investigation, just to wrap it in what, half an hour?" he didn't know if it was the booze or the grief, but he saw something deeper. "Changpu was the first on the scene... that's why she wanted to talk to him."

"And? I think you might be trying a little hard here buddy. She found his body and called it in. It happens." Mako was less than convinced.

"Yeah, it does. I could take that. I could take that he died in a robbery. I can take all of it besides the time frame." Mako turned and leaned against the counter.

"What?" Sai simoly seemed confused.

"He was the first on the scene to a life pod crash, and he just so happens to be killed as soon as he gets home, with Tower cops after him... that doesn't seem odd to you. All of that happening in just a few hours." there was a sigh.

"Yeah, it's weird."

"Okay, well, let me know if you find anything... wait, did you get prints from the shell or the finger?" his mind was spinning and he suddenly felt exhausted.

"Well, no. Nothing salvageable. And remember that clip you got from that guys shoulder, the flower? Well, I tried to ID it and I got hit with a clearance wall. So, maybe your right." Mako sighed and closed his eyes, feeling the bass pump through the wall. The music got louder for a moment then dulled again.

"Hey, Sai... would you mind doing some digging for me? Just, look for anything out of the ordinary and call me later." there was a pause before he answered.

"Uh, yeah. Ill see what I can find and call you later." Mako heard footsteps and saw three guys in cheap track suits standing shoulder to shoulder.

"Thanks." he said absently and shoved the phone in his pocket. "Can I help you guys?" the one in the middle smiled, his front teeth covered in gold.

"Uh, actually I think you can help us. You see, we heard there was a cop in the club, and we don't like cops." the other two shook their head and Mako held up his hands.

"I'll leave then." he said calmly and the guy with the gold teeth laughed.

"No, you see, we don't like cops in our club. It's a point of pride for us to be cop free. So when a cop comes into our club, we need to make a point with him." Mako lowered his hands and looked over all three guys. It was obvious what was going to happen.

"Well, right now I'm not a cop." he threw out and the guys laughed.

"Really? Because I see a badge." Mako took a deep breath. His head was swimming and he was tired, but that didn't stop him. It didn't stop him from pulling off his coat and folding it up, placing it on the counter with his scarf. It didn't stop him from taking off his belt and holster and placing them on his coat.

"You guys are lucky. I feel like punching something, I guess you'll do." He took a deep breath and took a step forward, turning to the side and spreading his legs, one fist outstretched and the other held close. The guy with the gold teeth smiled and the other two came charging forward. Even it if was only a second it felt like an eternity as he waited for the fist strike to come. It came from the man coming in on his right, a wild punch. He launched himself forward, deflecting the fist and landing his own in the mans stomach. He knew the knee was coming as he stepped back, out of his knees reach and launched forward again, ducking under his fist to land a punch to his ribs, then his cheek. The man stumbled and Mako felt a fist land on his jawline. He cursed himself as he spun around, grabbing the mans shoulder and throwing him into the counter. He ducked under another punch and kept hold of the man, spinning him around to take a kick and slamming him into a stall door. The first guy missed again as Mako slipped away, leaning back over the counter to avoid a fist and rushing forward, slamming his shoulder into the the second guy, sending him through the stall door. The other guy threw another wild punch and Mako fell back, again and again he slipped the mans angry punches, waiting for the moment to slam his foot into the man's knee. He twisted and fell and Mako landed a knee to chin, sending him into the counter. He didn't see what the third guy did, he didn't hear the pipes exploding and he didn't hear the grunt of effort as he slammed into the ceiling, smashing a light and sending sparks everywhere. He landed on the tiled floor with a wet thud.

"I told you, we don't like cops." Mako let out a series of coughs and groan as me made his way to his knees. He was wet, everything was wet. Water was freely flowing from a busted pipe on the wall. It was loud, flying across the room and causing a stall door to bounce off the wall of the stall with resounding cracking sounds. His head was swimming and he felt like he just fell out of a building as he looked up at the guy with gold teeth. He had taken a pose, his legs spread and his arms waving slightly as a stream of water circled him. He smiled and threw his arms forward, the stream passing through the rushing water and exploding into Mako's chest. He went across the room, slamming into the far wall and again landing on the floor with a groan and pieces of tile.

"And I don't like benders." he nearly growled as he stood up, closing his eyes and struggling to take a deep breath. His was soaked, everything was. His clothes clung to his skin, his mind was sluggish. He was hit harder than he thought. He looked at everything, realizing that even on a good day he would have trouble reaching the guy, and today was a bad day. Gold teeth laughed and Mako took another breath, turning his side and waiting. It didn't take long for the stream of water to shoot from the man's hands. It was cold and lightning quick, but Mako darted to the right, his hands barley reaching his holster as a jet of water shot at him, just barely missing his head as he fell. It was quick. His hands yanking the pistol free, the two shots and the streams of water hitting the wall just behind him. The bullets tore through Gold teeth's leg, ripping flesh and smashing bone. He dropped, screaming and writhing and bleeding. Mako rolled onto his back, coughing and groaning. "I'm just going to do that first next time." he ignored the screams of pain. He was to focused on the pressure in his ribs. He touched his side, hissing in pain. "Yeah, guns are better." it was the alcohol talking, he knew. It was the alcohol that made him do everything. It was a struggle to get up from the puddle he was in. his body ached and his mind was fogged with pain. He pulled himself up with the help of the counter. It wasn't till he was standing that he felt the pain above his eye. He felt the cut, the blood mixing with the water on his hands. He looked at the wall, realizing that it was ice being shot at him. _That was close, these guys get better and better. _He grabbed his things, clicking on the belt and throwing the coat over his shoulders. The dry articles of clothing on him. But that would change soon. He heard the music again, just for a moment before some hapless club goer stumbled into the restroom. It wasn't till he almost fell over Gold teeth that he realized he just stumbled into something bad. Mako looked at him for a moment before picking up his casings.

"Holy crap." even drunk the man was shocked at the sight. The broken pipes, the blood and the three guys rolling around.

"Hey, you. Hey..." the guy looked at him, wide eyed. "Call the cops." he didn't move. "I said, _call the police._" he pulled out his phone, smart enough to do what he said. But he stammered and stuttered when the line connected. "People are hurt, there is a bender." he echoed his words into the phone and Mako walked passed him, ignoring the flowing water as it pressed his clothes onto his body. The music had barely changed, and nobody noticed the gunshots or the screaming. It probably mixed rather well with the music. He pushed through the crowd, shoving people out of the way and staring them down as they tried to shove back. He felt the eyes on his back, the staff obviously confused that he walked out, not the _bouncers_ they sent to beat him senseless. _What did I do? _He had a sobering moment when he pushed into the lift. He closed his eyes and listened to the blood rushing in his ears, the music giving way to the sound of thunder and rain. The trip to his shuttle was slow, soaked and sullen. He needed sleep. _As if tomorrow will be different._

He took manual control, cutting the shuttle in and out of the flow of traffic, the sound of the rain smacking against the shuttle the only thing he could hear. It was a short trip, full of sorrow and frustration. He was angry at himself for letting his emotions take control. He knew what would happen, the club would finger him in an assault. They would ring the Department for everything they could. And he would be thrown in some dark hole deep in the ground. He knew this wasn't over, someone would retaliate. _Not yet, not yet_. It was all he could do to keep from lashing out at the controls before he landed in the Garage making up the top floors of his building. The shuttle whined and shut down as he opened the door, the sound of the rain ever present and the sound of thunder drawing his eyes to the sky. It lit up as lightning flashed and he took a deep breath, moving quickly over the worn concrete of the garage. It was old and cracked from years of weight and exposure to the weather. He looked around the garage as he waited for the lift, moving his coat out of the way, just in case. The lift announced it's arrival with a thud and a ding. He was soaked to the bone, leaving behind wet footprints as he stepped inside. He pressed his floor repeatedly trying to make the doors close faster. It was a full minute before he stepped out of the lift, the only sound was the whirring of the motor as it descended further behind him. He made his way through the twists and turns till he found his hallway, his door and stopped. The lock had been picked and the door as slightly ajar, a faint voice could be heard inside. Mako took a deep breath. _That was quick._ He drew his pistol, slowly pushing open the door. He stepped inside, the lights were off but he knew his way around, avoiding the piece of flooring that creaked whenever stepped on and made his way to the only source of sound. He waited, just around the corner, taking slow breaths to steady himself. _How did they figure where I live so quickly?_ He swung around the corner, his weapon at the ready, but he wasn't ready for what he saw.

"HANDS!" he called out to the figure digging through the hallway dresser. The man turned slowly, his uniform torn and bloody and burnt. He was covered in scratches and scraps, dirt and sweat coating his face. But all Mako saw were the deep green eyes. "Bolin..." Bolin rushed to him, throwing his arms around him and giving a nervous chuckle. Mako pushed him away for a moment, looking him over and pulling him into a hug. It was short and bittersweet, a whirlwind of emotions passing through Mako.

"I know I should have called first or something, but I need your help. Do you have any first aid stuff, I thought you would and wow, you are soaked." his voice is quick and distracted.

"Bolin, what is going on? They said you were dead. All hands lost. Wait, you were looking for it in a hall dresser?" Bolin turned around and looked at the dresser.

"Right, bathroom. And I was panicking, why do you even have a dresser in the hallway?" he bolted in one direction then the other, looking for a bathroom, exclaiming in triumph as he found it.

"I got the place as is... wait, are you hurt?" he grabbed Bolin by the shoulders, looking him over.

"Yeah, it's kind of hard not to get hurt when your getting shot at and spaced. I have cuts, like, everywhere. Here, and here, and this big one here." Mako narrowed his eyes and shook him.

"Spaced? What do you mean _spaced._" Bolin blinked a few times, marching over to the bedroom, aid bag in hand.

"Yeah, it was awesome and terrible at the same time. I thought I was dead but she saved me." his answer was simple as he opened the door. Mako looked inside at his bed and he saw her. A darker skinned woman, curled up in a ball, bleeding from several places and shaking like she was freezing. Her breathing was shallow and her skinned looked like she had just been taken out of a freezer yet she was drenched in sweat. He moved closer. She watched him closely with weary eyes. He looked her over, noticing the blue and white tattoo on her right arm and her hair matted to her head from sweat. She reached out and grabbed his wrist, her left ring finger covered in a makeshift bandage.

"Don't shoot..." she tried to smile and her arm fell away. Mako looked at his hand, realizing he still had his pistol drawn. He holstered it and noticed the blood on the sleeve of his coat.

"Bolin..." he turned around and saw him standing there, exhausted and weary and Mako could only give a sad smile at the sight of him. "What did you get yourself into?" Bolin scratched the back of his head and gave a big smile.

**A/N: Fight scenes are hard. But I'll manage, like deciding that since he isn't a bender, he isn't a super badass in hand to hand. He's good, but not beat a water bender in bathroom good. Hence then gun.**


End file.
